The 5 Biggest Automotive Scams You're Falling For

Posted March 19, 2014 by Ken Kupchik

We all have our moments of gullibility. I once let a "friend" borrow $150 for some speakers, which he promised to pay back within a matter of days. He dodged me for months and then moved to Texas. That was about 10 years ago.

But as car owners, we have a responsibility to not be gullible if we don't want to flush our money down the drain. We came up with a  list of the 5 biggest automotive scams that can easily be avoided. If you think of any others, let us know in the comments section.

1) Oil changes that are too frequent - We've covered this topic before, but convincing you that your oil needs to be changed every 3,000 miles has been part of a long-term marketing campaign by the quick oil-change industry to keep you coming back as often as possible. In reality, your oil only needs to be changed based on your car's service schedule which can be found in your vehicle owner's manual. The majority of service schedules recommend changing your oil between 7,500 and 10,000 miles. While there are some exceptions to this rule, such as older vehicles or those driven in extreme conditions, there is no reason, especially if using synthetic oil, that you would need to change your oil as frequently as every 3,000 miles, unless you enjoy spending too much money.

2) Fuel injector cleaning - If I'm in a hurry and have to get my oil changed in a quick-change facility, the number of things they try to up-sell me on is staggering. The most obvious one is fuel-injector cleaning, for which they charge approximately $70. Unless they are physically removing the injectors (ask them if they will), you can essentially do the same thing yourself by pouring a $10 can of Jectron or Redline fuel system cleaner into your gas tank. Actually, if you have a can of the cleaner, I'll come to your house and do it myself for $5, a $65 savings.

3) Changing bulbs - This actually happened to me during a routine annual state inspection a few years ago. The light above my license plate was burned out and I hadn't noticed it before I brought the car in. The mechanic performing the inspection changed the light himself without asking me first and then charged me almost $20 for it. This was a bulb that cost about .99 cents and took a minute to screw in. I didn't make a big deal about it, but refuse to go back to that shop again. Most bulbs can be installed just by checking your owner's manual for instructions. That being said, there are some modern cars that make it really difficult to install a light unless you are able to shape your hands into various tools like the T1000 from Terminator 2, but at least give it a try in your own driveway before paying someone's labor rate.

4) Changing Your Air Filter- Your air filter is incredibly easy to change. In nearly all cars, you just unsnap several plastic clips, remove the air filter and put in a new one. However, there will always be someone willing to charge you an arm and a leg for this simple fix. There have even been reports in the news of some unscrupulous mechanics going as far as taking a perfectly clean air filter, wiping it on a dirty floor and then showing it to a customer as evidence of needing immediate replacement. Some people have even claimed that they were charged for a new air filter when the old one was left in, hoping that they wouldn't notice. At the very least, if you don't have a trusting relationship with your mechanic yet, take a look at the filer with your own eyes, and make sure they've put a new one in.

5) Special Warranties - While getting a warranty is usually a good thing, some warranties are not worth it. The worst ones to buy are the ones you see advertised on late-night television, with a cartoon pirate character convincing you that they're a good deal. These "warranties" will promise you the world to get your money, and then point to one of a million loopholes when it comes time for them to pay up.  The second-worst are the specialty paint and trim warranties that the dealer might try to sell you. Let's put it this way; if you are paying for a warranty to cover your cloth seats in case you happen to spill your orange juice on them, I have a better (and cheaper) suggestion for you: STOP DRINKING ORANGE JUICE IN YOUR CAR.